Europe’s new deal: a new version of an expiring deal

The article elaborates upon the reasons of institutional default (Part 1) and, in turn, upon the implications of economic default in Europe (Part 2). In relation to the reasons of institutional default, the paper cast light on three broadly interrelating elements: First, the conceptual issue that the EU has been operating as a community without democracy, which was clearly illustrated in the case of the economic crisis (Sect. 2.1). Second, the structural issue that EU democracy, where applicable, was deprived of politics, in the sense that founding ideology has been completely superseded by the inflexible dominance of free market (Sect. 2.2). And, third, the technical issue that EU politics, where applicable, especially after the Euro-zone launching, lacked principles that could keep the community intact (Sect. 2.3). In relation to the implications of economic default, the paper reveals three salient features. First, the political impact, namely that Europe seems to be puzzled by a sharp division between stability/cohesion and growth/monetarism, which mutates the essential mainstays of a Community (Sect. 3.1). Second, the social impact, i.e. increase of discrepancies within the EU, mostly as a result of diminution of labour rights and the correlating destruction of cohesion (Sect. 3.2). And, third, the psychological impact, which revolves around two antithetical poles, namely stereotyping and nationalism (Sect. 3.3). The epilogue reflects the view that the current depression is both a disaster and an opportunity for Europe, therefore the old messianic deal of the European integration needs an afresh look within the frame of democratic legitimacy and accountability and with an essential preservation of social state. © 2013 The Author(s)

'Fantasy of fusion' as a response to trauma: European leaders and the origins of the eurozone crisis.

In this paper I explore a new approach to the understanding of trauma. I call into question the widely held assumption that trauma tends to engender feelings of dejection, lethargy and helplessness. Instead, I argue that it can lead to a quite different, active and over-optimistic response that involves an attempt at fusion with those who have inflicted, or might yet inflict, trauma. Drawing on concepts from psychoanalysis, I introduce the term ‘fantasy of fusion’ to encapsulate this idea. This concept is illustrated by an examination of the role of European leaders in the crucial decision to launch the single currency, and an exploration of its ramifications in creating the conditions for the eurozone crisis. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, calling into question the assumption that trauma leads to feelings of helplessness, this paper introduces and develops the novel idea of ‘fantasy of fusion’. Second, it sheds further light on the challenges of leadership. Third, it provides a new deep structure explanation for the origins of the eurozone crisis